Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said today that the government has yet to decide on the fate of loss-making Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS), as its owner Khazanah Nasional Bhd is exploring more options.

"Not yet (made a decision). The matter was briefly discussed at the Khazanah board meeting at the end of last year.

"But we want Khazanah to conduct further studies on the options available and what would be the best course to ensure it (MAS) can remain viable," he told journalists while attending Amanah's Aidilfitri open house in Kuala Lumpur.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had previously said that among the options being considered is to sell the ailing airline.

However, he said any such sale must allow MAS to retain its identity as a national carrier.

Azmin also said that Putrajaya is not placing a timeline on the difficult decision it has to make.

"No date has been set for the study, but we will allow Khazanah to conduct its research and consult all members of the board," he said.

MAS has been struggling to regain its footing after suffering twin air disasters in 2014.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing while heading to Beijing and remains lost to date, while Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine where an insurgency was taking place.

A total of 537 passengers and crew perished in the twin disasters.

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